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actor

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.təː/

The English word “actor” has 7 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant.
  2. Someone acting on behalf of someone else; a guardian.
  3. Someone or something that takes part in some action; a doer, an agent.
  4. A person who acts a part in a theatrical play or (later) in film or television; a dramatic performer.
  5. An advocate or proctor in civil courts or causes.
  6. The subject performing the action of a verb.
  7. The entity that performs a role (in use case analysis).

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English actour, from Anglo-Norman actor, Middle French actor, and their source, Latin āctor (“doer”), from agō (“to do”). Equivalent to act + -or. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἄκτωρ (áktōr, “leader”), from ἄγω (ágō, “lead, carry, convey, bring”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.